To a great extent, diagnostic tools used for detecting or quantitating biological analytes are based on ligand-specific binding between a ligand and a receptor. Ligand-receptor binding pairs used commonly in diagnostics include antigen-antibody, hormone-receptor, drug-receptor, cell surface antigen-lectin, biotin-avidin, and complementary nucleic acid strands, wherein said ligand is typically the smaller of the two binding pair members. The analyte to be detected may be either member of the binding pair; alternatively, the analyte may be a ligand analog that competes with the ligand for binding to the complement receptor.
A variety of methods for detecting ligand/receptor interactions have been developed. The simplest of these is a solid-phase format employing a reporter-labeled ligand whose binding to or release from a solid surface is triggered by the presence of analyte ligand or receptor. In a typical solid-phase sandwich type assay, for example, the analyte to be measured is a ligand with two or more binding sites, allowing ligand binding both to a receptor, e.g., antibody, carried on a solid surface, and to a reporter-labeled second receptor. The presence of analyte is detected (or quantitated) by the presence (or amount) of reporter bound to solid surface.
In a typical solid-phase competitive binding assay, an analyte ligand (or receptor) competes with a reporter-labeled analyte analog for binding to a receptor (or ligand) carried on a solid support. The amount of reporter signal associated with the solid support is inversely proportional to the amount of sample analyte to be detected or determined.
The reporter label used in both solid-phase formats is typically a visibly detectable particle or an enzyme capable of converting a substrate to an easily detectable product. Simple spectrophotometric devices allow for the quantitation of the amount of reporter label, for quantifying amount of analyte.
Detecting or quantitating ligand-specific binding events is also important in high-throughput methods being developed for combinatorial library screening. In a typical method, a large library of possible effector molecules (ligands) is synthesized. The library members are then screened for effector activity by their ability to bind to a selected receptor. The approach has the potential to identify, for example, new oligopeptide antigens capable of high-specificity binding to disease related antibodies, or small-molecule compounds capable of interacting with a selected pharmacological target, such as a membrane bound receptor or cellular enzyme.
High-throughput screening methods typically employ simple ligand displacement assays to detect and quantitate ligand binding to a receptor. Displacement assays have the advantage of high sensitivity, e.g., where the displaced ligand is radiolabeled, and also allow for the determination of ligand-receptor binding affinity, based on competitive displacement of a binding agent whose binding affinity to the target receptor is known.
In both diagnostics and high-throughput screening, there is increasing interest in developing electrochemical biosensors capable of detecting and quantifying ligand-receptor binding events. Such biosensors are designed to produce electrical signals in response to a selected analyte-specific event, such as a ligand-receptor binding event. The interest in biosensors is spurred by a number of potential advantages over strictly biochemical assay formats, such as those discussed above.
First, biosensors may be produced, using conventional microchip technology, in highly reproducible and miniaturized form, with the capability of placing a large number of biosensor elements on a single substrate.
Secondly, because small electrochemical signals can be readily amplified (and subjected to various types of signal processing if desired), biosensors have the potential for measuring minute quantities of analyte, and proportionately small changes in analyte levels.
A consequence of the features above is that a large number of different analytes can be detected or quantitated by applying a small sample volume, e.g., 10-50 .mu.l, to a single multi-sensor chip.
Heretofore, electrochemical biosensors have been more successfully applied to detecting analytes that are themselves electrochemical species, or can be participate in catalytic reactions that generate electrochemical species, than to detecting ligand-receptor binding events. This is not surprising, given the more difficult challenge of converting a biochemical binding event to an electrochemical signal. One approach to this problem is to provide two separate reaction elements in the biosensor: a first element contains a receptor and bound enzyme-linked ligand, and the second element, components for enzymatically generating and then measuring an electrochemical species. In operation, analyte ligand displaces the ligand-enzyme conjugate from the first element, releasing the enzyme into the second element region, thus generating an electrochemical species which is measured in the second element.
Two-element biosensors of this type are relatively complicated to produce, particularly by conventional silicon-wafer methods, since one or more biological layers and permselective layers must be deposited as part of the manufacturing process. Further, enzymes or receptors in the biosensor can denature on storage, and the device may have variable "wetting" periods after a sample is applied.
Biosensors that attempt to couple electrochemical activity directly to a ligand-receptor binding event, by means of gated membrane electrodes, have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,204,239 and 5,368,712 disclose gated membrane electrodes formed of a lipid bilayer membrane containing an ion-channel receptor that is either opened or closed by ligand binding to the receptor. Electrodes of this type are difficult to make and store, and are limited at present to a rather small group of receptor proteins.
Alternatively, direct ligand/receptor binding may be measured electrically by embedding the receptor in a thin polymer film, and measuring changes in the film's electrical properties, e.g., impedance, due to ligand binding to the receptors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,507 is exemplary. Since ligand binding to the receptor will have a rather small effect on film properties, and since no amplification effect is achieved, the approach is expected to have limited sensitivity.
It would thus be desirable to provide a biosensor capable of detecting and quantifying ligand-binding events and characterized by: (i) direct electrochemical conversion of the binding event to electrical signal; (ii) a high electron flow "turnover" from each binding event; (iii) adaptable to substantially any ligand, and (iv) good storage characteristics and rapid wetting with sample application. In additions the device should be easily produced, and preferably amenable to manufacture using standard microchip technologies.